US 9,871,998 B1Granted

Automatic imaging device selection for video analytics

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsJames Christopher Curlander, Jules Cook Graybill, Michael Anthony Molello

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Abstract

A suitable imaging device for capturing images of an object or an area of interest may be automatically selected based on information regarding the locations and/or other operational properties of a plurality of imaging devices, and a location of the object or the area of interest. One or more geometric models of the fields of view of the imaging devices may be generated, and whether the object or the area of interest falls within one or more of the fields of view may be determined using such models. Where multiple imaging devices may include the object or the area of interest, within a field of view, the imaging device having the most suitable image, e.g., the largest or highest resolution image of the object or the area of interest, may be selected.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

capturing a plurality of video files from a scene by a plurality of digital cameras over a period of time, wherein each of the digital cameras defines a field of view including at least a portion of the scene, and wherein the period of time includes a first time;
storing at least some of the video files in at least one data store at a second time, wherein the second time follows the period of time;
after the second time,
determining that an event occurred at a location within the scene at approximately the first time;
determining, for each of the digital cameras, a coverage zone based at least in part on each of:
a position of the digital camera;
an orientation of the digital camera;
and
a focal length of the digital camera;
identifying a first one of the coverage zones including the location within the scene;
identifying a first one of the digital cameras corresponding to the first one of the coverage zones;
and
retrieving a first one of the video files captured by the first one of the digital cameras from the at least one data store.

10 more elements

A method comprising:

after a first time, determining that an event occurred at a location within a field of view of at least one of a plurality of cameras, wherein the event is determined to have occurred at the first time;
identifying a plurality of video files captured by the plurality of cameras, wherein each of the video files includes at least one image frame captured at the first time, and wherein each of the video files is stored in at least one data store;
determining information regarding positions of each of the plurality of cameras at the first time;
determining information regarding focal lengths of each of the plurality of cameras at the first time;
determining information regarding angular orientations of each of the plurality of cameras at the first time;
and
selecting one of the video files based at least in part on the information regarding the positions, the information regarding the focal lengths and the information regarding the angular orientations of one of the plurality of cameras at the first time.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/419,968Filed 30 Jan 2017 · continuation
Priority: 20 Dec 2013
Granted: 16 Jan 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

H04N 7/181
Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast: for receiving images from a plurality of remote…
G06T 7/292
Analysis of motion: multi-camera tracking
G06T 7/70
Image analysis: determining position or orientation of objects or cameras
G06V 20/52
Context or environment of the image: surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects